Opel Astra GTC: pricing and specifications revealed

The Opel Astra GTC, the eye-catching act of the GM Europe brand’s new Australian range, is priced from $28,990.

The GTC is a sportier, three-door coupe/hatch version of the popular small car that returns to the local market for the first time since 2009.

At 4466mm the Opel Astra GTC is 47mm longer than the five-door Astra hatch, and it’s also 7mm wider but 21mm lower for a sportier stance. The wheelbase is also stretched by 10mm in comparison.

As the sporty variant of the Astra range it ignores the 2.0-litre turbo diesel offered elsewhere to focus on the two turbo petrol engines that are 1.4 and 1.6 litres in size.

The 1.4-litre produces 103kW of power and 200Nm of torque and sits under the bonnet of the base Opel Astra GTC. Its price increases to $30,990 if opting for the six-speed auto rather than six-speed manual.

The range-topping Sport costs $34,990 before on-road charges are added. It is offered with just a single drivetrain: the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 132kW (at 5500rpm) and 230Nm (at 2200rpm), linked to a six-speed manual.

The Opel Astra GTC Sport is the fastest in the entire Astra range, with a 0-100km/h claim of 8.3 seconds. (The Opel Astra OPC hot-hatch is tipped to come to Australia, though.)

The 1.4-litre trails 1.6 seconds behind (9.9sec) in manual form, or a full two seconds slower (10.3sec) with the auto.

The Opel Astra GTC starts $5000 higher than the corresponding Astra five-door hatch but comes loaded with significantly more features.

The Sport model also has exclusive options: adaptive dampers for $2000, 20-inch alloys for $1000, and a premium lighting package that costs $2000 and includes bi-xenon headlamps, LED daytime running lights and multi-function lighting.

The base Opel Astra GTC can be spruced up with a leather upholstery and navigation package, for $2500 and $1250 respectively.

Opel cements the GTC’s positioning as the sportiest Astra with a so-called HiPerStrut that the company says enhances the model’s dynamic characteristics by improving cornering grip and reducing torque steer – the wheel-tugging effect that can be a symptom of powerful front-wheel-drive cars.